Portable shelter



Jury 1o, 1932 l C. W. MOSS 3,043,320

PORTABLE SHELTER 1N V EN TOR.

BYCHARLES WILLIAM MOSS FINN G. OLSEN ATTORNEY July 10, 1962 c. w. Moss3,043,320

PORTABLE SHELTER Filed Sept. 4, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

In(HARLES WILLIAM MOSS FINN G. OLSEN ATTORNEY United States Patent()3,043,320 PORTABLE SHELTER Charles William Moss, 1415 Beechwood Drive,Ann Arbor, Mich. Filed Sept. 4, 1959, Ser. No. 838,353 14 Claims. (Cl.13S-1) The present invention relates to portable shelters such as tentsand the like which can be easily erected and collapsed. Y

It is an object of the present invention to provide a portable shelterwhich is constructed and arranged so that it has a simple, low costframe assembly 'and cover.

It is another object of the present invention to provide l a portableshelter of the foregoing character wherein the frame assembly is of asimple design, easy to assemble, and which when assembled within a coveris held in its assembled position by the cover thereby eliminating theneed for additional fastening means.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a `fra-meassembly of the foregoing character which when assembled within itsassociated cover has no internal obstructions to limit the use of theshelter to its occupants.

=It is still another object of the present invention to provide anelongated tent-like structure which does not require lines attached tothe upper portions of the cover in order to maintain the structure inits erected and distended position.

It is s-till another object to provide a portable shelter which hasventilation openings arranged in the cover so that rain and the likenormally cannot enter the structure when in its erected position.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide aportable shelter having a frame assembly supporting a fabric coverwherein Ithe component parts of the frame assembly can be adjustedrelative to one another to assure the most satisfactory tting of theframe assembly with respect to the cover.

Itis still another object of the present invention to provide anelongated portable shelter which is characterized by :the rigidconstruction provided by a relatively simple frame assembly. Y

Other objects of this invention will appear in the following descriptionand appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawingsforming a part of this specication wherein like reference charactersdesignate corresponding parts in the several views.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 isa fragmentary perspective view of a portable shelterembodying the present invention and showing the opening iiaps in foulweather position;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary top plan view drawn to a reduced lscale of theembodiment illustrated in FIG- URE 1 with the frame assembly shown inbroken lines;

FIGURE 3 is a similar fragmentary side elevation of the embodimentillustrated in FIGURE l;

FIGURE 4 is a front elevation of the embodiment of FIGURE l with theflaps tied open;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary enlarged view showing the arrangement foradjustably connecting the trame members together;

FIGURE 6 is another fragmentary view of the frame assembly showing themanner in which the frame members are connected at their upper ends; and

lFIGURE 7 is a perspective View of a portable shelter with a modifiedframe assembly, and with the cover being shown in phantom for thepurposes of better illustrating the frame assembly.

Before explaining the present invention in detail, it is to beunderstood that the invention is not limited in its application to thedetails of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, since the invention is capable of otherembodiments and, of being practiced or carried out in various ways.Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology or terminologyemployed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.

Referring now to the drawings, the invention be described in greaterdetail. yThe portable shelter 10 has a cover 12 and a frame assembly 14.The cover 12 has opposite side walls 16 and 18 which converge and arejoined at the upper edge 20. Front and rear end walls 22 and 24 areconnected to the side walls 16 and 18 and converge toward one anotherfor a limited distance and then diverge as at 26 and 28 until reachingthe upper edge 20. Thus, an overhang or an' outwardly extendingpocket-like formation is provided at the opposite ends of the upper edge20, and these overhangs have triangular shaped lower portions which havescreens 30 therein to provide ventilation through the upper regions ofthe portable shelter 10. For the purposes of closing these ventilationopenings, interior installed rain aps 34 and 36 shaped to cover thescreens are stored on rollers, as shown.V These flaps 34 and 36 can beunrolled and attached to conventional snap buttons (not shown) v at theinner upper edges of the screens 30.

'Ilhe front end wall 22 has an opening 38 adapted to be covered by theflaps 40 and 42. These flaps 40 and 42 can be tied in an open positionas shownin FIG- URE 4, or ca-n be positioned in the foul weatherposition shown in FIGURE l.

A bottom wall 44 is also provided which isy 'connected to 'the loweredges of the side walls 16 and 18 and the end walls 22Y and 24. Forpurposes to be explained, material of multiple thickness may be used at46 and 48 as shown.

The material of the cover 12 may be a woven tabric, or a nonwoven bondedfabric having a cross-laid web of threads held together by an adhesivewith a cellulose coating on opposite sides of the web.

The frame assembly 14 has two inverted V-shaped, frame members S0 whichare adjustably connected as at 54 at their lower end portions and whichhave their upper ends extending into the overhangs at the opposite endsof the upper edge 20. As can be seen bset in FIG- URE 3, the invertedV-shaped frame members and 52 are substantially in the planes of thelower walls of the overhangs. These planes are at an angle ofapproximately 60 With respect to one another and also with respect tothesupporting surface.

The frame members 50 and 52 are each formed from two rigid elements,such as shown fragmentarily in FIG- URE 6 at 56, and are connected by asuitable looped wire element 58. Thus, in efr'ect the four rigidelements 56 form with the upper edge 20 a pair of triangles with theedge 20 forming a common base and the apexes of the triangles resting onthe multilayer pads 48. For the purpose of iitting these rigid members56 more tightly in the pocket-like formations or overhangs at theopposite ends of the upper edge 20, the adjustable connections 54 areprovided. As seen in FIGURE 5, one of the rigid members has a pin 60 inits lower end and the other rigid member has a'series of longitudinallyspaced holes 62 adapted to receive the pin 60. Moving the pin 60 upwardto a higher hole 62 will have the effect of urging the upper ends of therigid members 56 more tightly into the pocket-like lformations.

As is believed understood, the frame assembly 14 does not entirelydis-tend the cover 12. In order to completely distend the cover 12 loops64 are lprovided at each of 3 the corners to which stakes or othersecuring means can be fitted or connected.

As can be seen, the frame assembly 14 is a very simple constructionwhich can easily be erected within the cover 12. kFurther-more, whenerected there are no obstructions within the portalble shelter 10 tolimit the use by the occupants.

It is not essential that adjustment means 54 be used with the frameassembly 14. A modified fname assembly 14a is shown in FIGURE 7 whereinthe rigid members 56a can be held together by the small V-shapedelements 66 which iit over the ends of the rigid members 56a. In otherrespects this anodication of the invention is the same as the oneillustrated in FIGURES 1 6, inclusive.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

l. A portable shelter comprising a fabric cover having a pair of sidewalls inclined toward one another and joined together to form an upperedge, and a pair of end walls joined to said side walls and inclinedupwardly toward one another a limited distance below said upper edge andthereafter diverging from one another until reaching said upper edge sothat a generally triangular shaped downwardly and outwardly facingoverhang is provided at each end of said cover, and 'a frame assemblyfor supporting said cover, said frame assembly having two invertedV-shaped frame members connected together at lower portions thereof and4diverging upwardly from one another at substantially the same degreethat the upper portions of said end walls diverge from one another,theapexes of said inverted V-shaped frame members fitting into thecorners of said cover defined by said upper edge and the triangularshaped overhangs, and means to secure to a supporting surface the fourlower corners defined by the side and end walls of the cover.

A2. A portable shelter as claimed in claim l wherein said two invertedV-shaped frame members are connected together at their respective ends.

3. A portable shelter as claimed in claim 1 wherein one of said twoinverted V-shaped frame members is connected for adjustable positioningalong the lower portion of the other of said two inverted Vashaped framemembers. r

4. A portable shelter comprising a fabric cover having a pair of sidewalls inclined toward one another and joined together to form an upperedge, a pair of end walls joined to said side walls and inclinedupwardly toward one another a limited distance below said upper edge andthereafter diverging from one another until reaching said upper edge sothat a generally triangular shaped downwardly and outwardly facingoverhang is provided `-at each end of said cover, the upper portions ofsaid end walls being detachably connected at their junctures with theside walls so that the triangular shaped downwardly and voutwardlyfacing overhangs can be opened, and screens mounted in the openings insaid overhangs, and a frame assembly for supporting said cover, saidframe assembly having two inverted V-shaped frame members connectedtogether at lower portions thereof and diverg ing upwardly from oneanother at substantially the same degree that the upper portions of saidend walls diverge from one another, the apexes of said inverted V-shapedframe members fitting into the corners of said cover delined by saidupper edge and the triangular shaped overhangs, and means to secure to asupporting surface the four lower corners defined by the side and endwalls of the cover.

5. A portable shelter comprising `a fabric cover having a pair of sideWalls inclined toward one another and joined together to form an upperedge, a pair of end walls joined to said side walls and extending upwarda limited distance below said upper edge and thereabove diverging fromone another until reaching said upper edge so that an overhang isprovided at each end of the cover, the end Wall portions in saidoverhangs being in planes having an included `angle of approximately 60,land a bottom wall connected to the lower edges of said side and endwalls, and a frame assembly for supporting said cover, said frameassembly having two inverted V-shaped frame members connected at theirlower end portions and being respectively generally in the aforesaidplanes of said end wall portions, the lower ends of at least one of saidframe members being supported on said bottom wall adjacent the sidewalls, and means at the corners of the cover defined by said side andend walls for securing the cover to a supporting surface.

6. A portable shelter as claimed in claim 5 wherein ksaid planes areeach inclined approximately 60 to said bottom wall.

7. A portable shelter as claimed in claim 5 wherein the included anglebetween the legs in each V-shaped frame member is approximately 60.

8. A portable shelter comprising a fabric cover having a pair of sidewalls inclined toward one another and joined together to form an upperedge, a pair of end walls joined to said side walls and extending upwarda limited distance below said upper edge and thereabove diverging fromone another until reaching said upper edge so that an overhang isprovided at each end of the cover, and abottom wall connected to thelower edges of said side and end walls, and a frame assembly forsupporting said cover, said frame assembly having rigid membersextending respectively from said bottom wall adjacent the side Walls tothe apexes of said overhangs, and means at the corners of the coverdefined by the side, end and bottom walls for securing said cover to asupporting surface.

9. A portable shelter comprising a fabric cover having a pair of sidewalls inclined toward one another and joined together to provide anupper edge, a bottom wall connected to the lower edges of said sidewalls, a pair of end walls joined to said side walls and extendingupward a limited distance below said upper edge and thereabove divergingfrom one another until reaching said upper edge to provide an overhangat each end of the cover, and a frame assembly for supporting saidcover, said frame assembly including two rigid members extendingrespectively from the apex of one of said overhangs to said bottom walladjacent said side walls and n substantially midway between said endwalls, vtwo otherV rigid members extending from the apex of the other ofsaid overhangs to the lower end portions respectively of the first namedtwo rigid members and adapted to be attached selectively Iatlongitudinally spaced portions of the said first named two rigidmembers, said first named rigid members being in a plane at an acuteangle to a plane containing said second named rigid members so thatmoving the lower ends of said second named rigid members upward to newlocations of attachment on said first named rigid members will advancethe upper ends of said second named rigid members further into saidother overhang.

10. A portable shelter comprising a rdistensible fabric cover having acontinuous lower edge adapted to rest on a supporting surface and astraight closed upper edge with aligned voutwardly extending pocket-likeformations at each end of said upper edge, and a frame assembly fordistending said cover comprising two rigid members connected at theirlower end portions and adapted to be supported inside said coveradjacent said continuous lower edge by said supporting surface andhaving their upper ends inserted respectively into said pocket-likeformations, two other rigid members similarly constructed and arrangedto the irst named two rigid members but with their connected lower endportions on a diametrically opposite side within said cover so that twotriangular structures are formed each including two connected membersand the straight upper edge, and means for securing other portions ofsaid continuous lower edge to said supporting surface.

1l. A portable shelter as claimed in claim 10 wherein the lower sides ofsaid pocket-like formations have screens therein.

12. A portable shelter as claimed in claim 10 wherein said cover has anopening in the side thereof with aps adapted for closing said opening.

13. A portable shelter comprising a distensible fabric cover having acontinuous lower edge and a straight closed upper edge terminating inloutwardly extending pocketlike formations, and a frame assembly fordistending and supporting said cover comprising two rigid membersadjustably connected at their lower end portions and adapted to besupported inside said cover adjacent said continuous lower edge by saidsupporting surface and having their upper ends inserted respectivelyinto said pocket-like formations, two other rigid members constructedand arranged similarly to the rst named two rigid frame members but withtheir lower end portions on an opposite side within said cover so thattwo trangular structures are formed with said upper edge being intension and corresponding to the common base of 20 both triangularstructures, the adjustable connection at 6 the lower end portions of thetwo sets of members providing means for varying the tension of saidupper edge, rand means for securing otherl portions of said continuouslower edge to said supporting surface.

14. A portable shelter as claimed in claim 13 wherein each of theadjustable connections at the lower end portions of the two sets ofmembers comprise a series of holes spaced longitudinally on one of theassociated frame members and a pin extending from the end of the otherof the associated members and adapted to t selectively into said holes.

ReferencesCivted in the le of this patent l UNITED STATES PATENTS1,846,496 Mills Feb. 23, 1932 2,069,479 Pluth Feb. 2, 1937 2,243,984Singewald June 3, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS 89,003 Norway Apr. 1, 1957677,066 Germany lune 17, 1939

